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Thursday, April 17, 2008

Gallia At Sea And On The March

NEWS FROM:

THE SHETLAND GROUP MAIN ISLAND:The Gallian shore party reboarded its transport at Lerwick and headed out to sea. Lt. Gen. Gallantier is aboard the accompanying Sloop of War Alerte (20). Destination unknown. Gallantier bid a fond farewell to Tradgardland Duke Karl Frederick who easily restored order to the Main Island.

AT THE OUTER EDGE OF THE FIRTH OF FORTH:Admiral Suthren landed The Pretender's second reinforcement, Battalion Albany on March 20th, 1758 at Tantallon Castle. It will march to Edinburgh to join forces assembling there for the Stuart Restoration. Admiral Suthren departed to the eastward into the North Sea afterwards. Destination unknown.

FORTRESS OF GEMÜNDEN, GERMANIA (East of Frankfurt Am Main):Lieutenant General Chevert marched southeastwards via Würzburg, Kitzingen and Neustadt. Advanced elements are approaching Bayreuth. This quiet portion of Germania is now in a state of alarm. Chevert sent a courier (Kapitan von Bock of the Chevauleger Regiment Rutowski) to an official of the Circles to advise of this peaceful march. Some say the Gallian Army is heading for the Bohemian Fortress of Eger to position itself to assist The Imperium once the Armistice with The Marquis of Brandenburg ends.

Note:The Marquis = Frederick II.Der Alte hosts an Austrian versus Prussian game at Historicon in July.Chevert marches per roads on the "Friedrich" board game map.

KOBLENZMaréchal de Broglie ordered his Advance Guard to Frankfurt Am Main. They are expected any hour. The Main Body and Rear Guard will follow in due course. All will take up residence before the end of April. This will be the largest concentration of Gallian soldiers anywhere since it is the Main Gallian Army. Thereafter we believe de Broglie may strike north into Hesse-Seewaldt. However, he may head eastwards too? Or might he stay there as a strategic countermeasure?

FRANKFURT AM MAINGallian Intendant Bastille upon learning of the approach of de Broglie is now sleeping better than ever. He is said to be the most peaceful anyone has ever seen him.

L.Comte Bastille's sound sleep is shattered by a series of loud explosions ... jumping up and thrashing through the lush hangins on his bed, he struggles to the window and sees large firework explosions fading from the direction of the Depot! Immediately, Trumpets sound alarms and drums beat 'to arms" all through town. Throwing on the rudiments of a uniform, he dashes downstairs into the staff room where bemused and sleep befuddled officers are rapidly gathering. Musketeers push their way through to the windows as an excited captain reports that his company is executing the contingency plan. Moments later, a Frankszonian dragoon patrol dashes up to the Gallian headquarters, one of their officers leaps off his horse and asks to see the Intendant. Boldly, the Intendant admits the man.

Officer: M'Lord! (saluting)Bastille: Sir, (nods), now just what are you (expletives deleted) Grankfurters up to now! Officer: We have intercepted a rebel raid on the depot, M'Lord. Their forces are concentrating rather quickly at Bischhof, the manor where the Lady Pettygree was housed for the grand ball. Bastille: (somewhat sardonically) Really? Rebels, eh? Really? we'll soon disperse them! Officer: Excuse me, m'Lord, but I believe that the Frankszonian forces are in better position to handle this problem. In fact, so much so, that we doubt that we'll interfere with the movements your officers are certainly already initiating! Bastille: Yes, they certainly are. Officer: We are assigning some militia companies to augment your key point defenses sir. They;ll probably be better used for urgent labor than muskets ... but they're supposed to get their orders from whomever you've posted at the prison, depot, and here.Bastille: Being a faithful ally, eh?

At this point, a Gallian cavalry unit arrives and challenges the Frankszonians. The Frankszonia Dragoons draw together and show empty hands, but do not immediately depart. "We're not here to challenge you," their Feldwebel assures the Gallians, "just waiting for our orders, our Major is inside now getting them."

As a Gallian trooper clomps inside to verify this announcement, the Frankszonian officer says quickly: "Verstahen sie? If this is handled by our men, it's a fight between Duke and Syndics. If you get involved, it's Protestant Germany versus Catholic Gallia. We think you'd prefer the former, even if we lose, You'd still be as strong, and we think these guys are trying to strike before de Broglie arrives. So they've no time to exploit a victory ... especially since our spies caught their concentration ... a miniscule force compared to what Gallia already has here!" Bastille: You have a point ... Officer: Just tell your men to stand on the defensive and to support each other ... even damn the Ducal forces ... but let this round be German. It'll pay off! Bastille: (ro his aides) send orders to our brigades to secure our positions and to not intevene in this petty German feud!